Update  2024-04-23

 

If you are a Nisei (Second generation Japanese) and want to live in Japan with your non-Japanese spouse, or if your spouse is a Nisei and you want to live in Japan together, how can you live in Japan together? i.e. what kind of visas can you apply?

 

 

Visa for Nisei

 

Firstly, if you are a Nisei, you need to apply for a visa for long-term stay in Japan. If you were born as a child of a Japanese national, then the appropriate visa is called “Child of a Japanese national”. Even if your father or mother renounced their Japanese nationality after you were born and became a foreign national, you are recognized as a “person born as a Japanese child” and can apply for a Child of a Japanese national visa.

On the other hand, if you were born after your father or mother renounced Japanese nationality and became a foreign national, you cannot apply for a Child of a Japanese national visa as you are not considered a “person born as a Japanese child”. Since your grandparents have Japanese nationality, you apply for the second generation Japanese descent “Long-term resident” visa as Nisei.

Furthermore, even if foreign parents naturalize and acquire Japanese citizenship, their already-born children cannot apply for a “Child of a Japanese national” visa. They apply for a “Long-term resident” visa instead.

 

*Related articles in Japanese 「日本人の配偶者等」のビザ取得についてわかりやすく！日本人の実子編

 

 

Necessary documents for a Child of a Japanese national visa

 

1.  Application form for a certificate of eligibility
2. Photograph (4 cm long x 3 cm wide)
3. A copy of the applicant’s parents’ family register or a copy of their removal from the family register (certificate of all matters)
4. Certificate of acceptance of birth registration if the birth took place in Japan
5. Birth certificate issued by an institution in the country of birth if the birth took place abroad
6. Document proving the expenses of the applicant’s stay in Japan
   (1) Certificate of taxation (or non-taxation) and certificate of tax payment for the latest one year of the resident tax of the person who pays the applicant”s accommodation expenses (if more than one person is dependent on the applicant, the one with the highest income) (showing total income and tax payment for one year).
   (2) Others
   If the documents mentioned in (1) cannot be submitted
   a. Copy of savings book
   b. Certificate of expected employment or letter of offer of employment (issued by a Japanese company)
   c. Anything similar to the above.
7. Letter of Guarantee
   The guarantor must be a Japanese national (parent) residing in Japan.

 

 

Visa for spouse of Nisei and necessary documents

 

If your spouse is the Nisei Japanase, then you can apply for a “Long-term resident” visa.

The necessary documents are as follows.

 

1. Application form for a certificate of eligibility
2. Photograph (4 cm long x 3 cm wide)
3. Issued by the municipal office
   (1) Certificate of acceptance of marriage notification, if you have registered with the Japanese authorities.
   (2) Certificate of residence for your spouse (with all members of the household listed)
   (3) Certificate of taxation (or non-taxation) and certificate of tax payment for the most recent year of your spouse’s residence tax (which shows total income and tax payment for the year)
4.  Certificate of employment of your spouse
5.  Others
   (1) Guarantor’s letter of identity
   (2) Marriage certificate issued by an institution in the applicant’s home country (foreign country)
   (3) Questionnaire
   (4) Photos of  you two
   (5) One of the following certificates proving a certain level of Japanese language proficiency. This must be submitted if the applicant wishes to obtain the residence card for a period of “5 years” (minors are excluded).
   a. Document certifying that the applicant has received at least 6 months of Japanese language education at a Japanese language education institution specified by the Minister of Justice in a public notice.
   b. Document certifying that the applicant has passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N2.
   c. Document certifying that the applicant has scored 400 or above on the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test JLRT Listening and Reading Comprehension Test (written test) conducted by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation.
   d. Having received at least one year of education at a school (excluding kindergartens) stipulated in Article 1 of the School Education Law.

 

 

 

If you are looking for an immigration lawyer to help your application, please contact us.

We have helped many couples who want to move to Japan. We are happy to help your case!

 

Profile

Ami Ito　　Immigration lawyer in Tokyo, Japan

 

– Spent high school years in the U.K. and graduated from a local school.
– Studied mainly intercultural communication at Sophia University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages, English Department.
– Worked in the overseas department of SEIKO for 11 years after graduation.
– Over 10 years of experience teaching English to high school students, with a TOEIC score of 970 and a Class A level in the United Nations Associations Test of English.
– Serves as a board member in charge of international affairs at the Chiba Administrative Scrivener Association.
– Officially registered on the Financial Services Agency’s “List of Professionals (Administrative Scriveners) in Chiba Prefecture capable of providing services in foreign languages.”